At the end of 2014, sub-Saharan Africa hosted 3.7 million refugees (26 percent of the global total), most of whom originated in Somalia (753,000), Sudan (627,000), South Sudan (615,300), DRC (487,800), Central African Republic (410,400) and Eritrea (239,600). These numbers exclude those who found refugee status outside sub-Saharan Africa.

Nations in the region at the end of 2014 hosted the following number of refugees: Ethiopia (659,500), Kenya (551,400), Uganda (385,500), South Sudan (248,200), Sudan (244,400), Djibouti (20,500), Eritrea (2,900), and Somalia (2,700).

By the end of 2014, Ethiopia became the 5th largest refugee hosting country in the world after Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Iran. It was followed by Jordan, Kenya, Chad, Uganda, and China. Ethiopia hosted the highest number of refugees in relation to the size of its economy followed by Pakistan, Chad, Uganda, Kenya, and Afghanistan.

Countries in the region as of the end of 2014 were the origin of the following number of refugees: Somalia (1,106,100), Sudan (666,000), South Sudan (616,200), Eritrea (363,100), Ethiopia (86,900), Kenya (8,600), Uganda (7,200), and Djibouti (900).

Most of Eritrea's 363,100 refugees went to the following locations: Ethiopia (123,800), Sudan (109,200), Europe (81,100), and Israel (32,700).